Polo club could sink

RISING pool costs have put the existence of a Southport club on the brink of closure.

The Southport Water Polo team use the facilities at the Dunes Leisure Centre but an increase in hire price now means the future of the club hangs in the balance.

Parent organisation, the Southport Swimming Club, have asked water polo team captain Joe Pyke to find extra members to meet the revised prices or risk losing one of their two training slots.

On Monday evenings the club juniors meet between 8-9 and the seniors train an hour later from 9-10.

However, the loss of the later pool time would ultimately result in the dissolution of the team as a whole and see them have to pull out of the Liverpool and District League.

Currently the club have 19 members, ranging from ages nine upwards, but a new figure of 45 members is required to pay for pool hire.

Those 19 members paid annual fees totalling £2,736 but the cost of the pool hire over that period was £4,554 - a loss of £1818.

Although the swimming club continues to subsidise the shortfall, in a letter seen by the Visiter which is to be sent to water polo members next week, chairman Mr B R Lewis says that another projected loss of £2,000 is unsustainable.

Therefore, Joe Pyke has been asked to try and find extra members to improve on the seven senior players they currently have in the later training slot.

In the letter, chairman Lewis says: “During the last few years the committee has been concerned about the lack of progress made by the Water Polo section, particularly with regard to membership.

“The club has always subsidised sections that have not always managed to cover their costs, but you will appreciate that the club can not continue to absorb a deficit approaching £2,00 annually.

“The committee realises this is far from satisfactory but until such time as numbers require a second hour we can not envisage an alternative solution.”

Therefore, the water polo club are appealing to anyone who is interested in playing the sport to contact them.

Joe Pyke said: “If we can’t find enough members then the team would have to drop out of the league.

“If anyone enjoys swimming, keeping fit and is interested in joining our club then please contact me on 07515151295.”